The African heads of state should create an African Union Working Group to Build Youth Capacity for Taking Part in Economic Development. It would be an institution whose role would be to raise awareness among states on the importance of youth capacity building. This is because empowering the youth allows them to actively contribute to economic development. The institution would also have the mandate to ensure governments have national context-specific plans for youth capacity building in the different sectors. It would also come up with policies on creating and building institutions and an enabling environment for improving lives of the … Continue reading Regional Level Initiatives

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) refers to any development of skills despite the sector it occurs. TVET can provide the youth in Africa with the skills necessary for them to earn a living. This would enable the youth to get experience, income and pay taxes. A UNESCO 2012 report estimated that there were 100 million youths who are either illiterate, in low paying jobs, or unemployed. The jobs available in the formal industrial sector represents 10% of total employment in most African countries. The bulk of persons in the workforce are in the agricultural and service sectors. The … Continue reading Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

The formal financial institutions should be required by law to accept identification documents that are specific to the youth. It includes student Identity Cards and Bonafide letters. Others include allowing the youth to present guarantors. One of the legal restrictions that deny the youth access to formal financial institutions are the documents required before opening a bank account. Examples of required documents include birth certificates and proof of residence. The documents required are sometimes challenging to obtain. They are, therefore, a barrier to financial inclusion for the youth. A deposit guarantee law to protect youth deposits in a country is … Continue reading Legal Opportunities for Capacity Building

Mobile financial services are the solution to addressing the issues around access and complexity of processes at financial institutions. It requires collaboration between financial institutions and mobile network operators to encourage the use of mobile money. However, mobile network operators should improve network and service challenges. The provision of mobile money should be expanded to include other services, such as mobile loans at low-interest rates. It is necessary to ensure that the banking services are also accessible offline through USSD. It will enable financial inclusion for the youth in rural areas who cannot access smartphones or the internet. The mobile … Continue reading Technology, Banking and the Youth

In the developing world, which includes African countries, 62% of the youth are outside the formal financial system. It inhibits their capacity to continue their education or start businesses. The youth in Africa rely on the informal sector for finances and employment. It contributes to poverty among the youth since the informal sector does not generate enough income for them. Reducing poverty among youth can significantly improve household income. There is a link between household and youth poverty. The households that the youth come from define the barriers and opportunities they will face. The financial barriers faced also depends on … Continue reading Financial Capacity Development for the Youth

An integrated system focuses on developing an enabling environment, institutional level efficiency and equipping individuals with knowledge and skills. It is because corruption is an institutional level problem. Barriers to access are due to the absence of an enabling environment. Dealing with corruption requires the development of practices, policies, and systems which guarantee effective functioning of institutions. Therefore, soft and hard rules are necessary to achieve efficiency. Gabon and Chile are some of the least corrupt countries in the world that are not from Europe. They have set up some institutional reforms that would work in the context of other … Continue reading System Capacity Development to Help Youth

According to the African Youth Charter, the youth are persons between 18 to 35 years of age. They are not homogeneous due to factors such as education level, marital status, geographical location and gender. Each sub group faces unique challenges with regards to accessing jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. The youth in Africa need financial institutions to save and obtain loans to develop their businesses. 17% of the global youth population live in Africa. In Africa, one in five youth live on less than 1 US Dollars (USD) a day. 64% of youth in Africa live in countries where a third … Continue reading African Youth Series Introduction